The Definitive Green Dragon (Revised, Updated, Combined)

So I tried this for the first time about 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, it did not turn out as well as I was hoping. I used 3.5g of bud, 2.7g of stem, and 2.4g of duff.

The first problem I had was when I did the pre-bake I did it for 5 minutes at 300, but I put it on the top rack in the oven. So it was too close to the electric heating element and it came out darker than the duff I used. Also a cloud of vapor about the size of a loaf of bread came out when I opened it up. I decided to keep going with it anyways and did the same with the stems after I ground them up. I put it on a lower rack and it came out just right (at least I think so).

So I added it to a bell jar with about 4 oz of 151. I didn't use a double boiler though. I used a steamer insert in the pot I cooked it in to keep it off the bottom. Although it was still really hot because the steamer insert was sitting on the bottom. So I think I had it way too high a temp because of this.

I let it cook for about 10 minutes before I looked at it, and boy was it boiling. Probably only an oz of 151 left in it. So I took it out, let it cool a bit, and added more 151. Lowered the temp and went back to it. At one point I put the lid on tight and shook it. Turned out it wasn't on tight and It sprayed all over me the the kitchen counter. Let it go for about 1.5 hrs I think and then strained it using cheese cloth and a garlic press. I didn't think it would work so I didn't use gloves and absorbed a lot through my skin. I ended up with about 1.5 oz.

I then started a second extraction with another 4 oz of 151 and went to my room to watch tv for about 45 minutes. Fast forward 4 hours... I wake up with a horrible weed hangover and stumble to the kitchen. As far as I could tell the material was damp but there was no 151 visible. So I decided I was done and threw out what was left.

From what I could tell it does work although it only lasts about 1.5 hrs for me. With a dose of about 20 drops. I gave my friends about 5 drops under their tongues and it got them high, but I don't think there was any THC in it really. I didn't take any for about 1 1/2 weeks and it just isn't all that strong.

So things I learned:
1) I need to do a double boiler next time. Maybe just a metal pan sitting ontop of the pot. The chef at the restaurant I work at does this when he needs a double boiler.
2) Use the rack in the middle of the oven. Not the one closest to the heating element.
3) Don't start this at 1am. You need to be awake and alert cause you can easily screw this up.

I have very good luck making my own capsules with coconut oil so I may just stick to that. I also want to try using veg glycerine. Seems like it would be a lot more user friendly than alcohol(and I don't really like alcohol anyways). I'm sure I'll give this another shot eventually, but I may try the 2 month sit and shake method. I have heard you can speed up the process of the shake method by baking the herb before doing this. Has anyone tried it like that? Either with or without baking it before starting the long extraction process.

I have been very successful when I follow the Master Wu recipe, but have also had dissapointing results when I tried to take shortcuts.
1)Dry the weed first, you seem to be on top of that now
2) Use a thermometer to keep track of the temp in your solution, set a timer to go off in 20 minutes and stay in the kitchen with your cooking.

As for the sit and wait method that has never failed me, it just is not as convenient as the Master Wu technique. My preferred method is to put the dried weed into a tincture bottle that I get at the local health food store for $2. Fill to the top with alcohol and store in a dark place for 4-8 weeks. I shake it on occasion but have found that with enough time everything takes care of itself. Once I think the tincture is ready I leave the weed in the bottle. You will gets a few small flecks of herb in the eyedropper but not enough to cause any problems (like salad in your teeth) and who knows the longer it soaks the more potential you have to extract more thc.

Yeah, I always dry the weed first. Otherwise it sticks to the coffee grinder. I definitely need to stay in the kitchen though. I'm used to making capsules with oil and letting it sit in the crock pot for 12 hours. I may actually try it in the crock pot next time. Although it's hard to tell exactly what the temp in it is. I have a candy thermometer but it doesn't fit in the crock pot. I did check the temp of the green dragon but it doesn't appear to be accurate. It never got above 150. I even stuck it in the boiling water and it still didn't clear 150 after about 1 minute. So I think it is busted. I did place an oven thermometer in the c.p. before. I think the 3 settings were at 155, 220, and 255. Oh, and when I set the oven to 300 the thermometer never went above 270. It was hung off the bottom of the top rack though. So it was a bit further away from the heating element.

On the up side though. Back when I made it and I spilled it all over my arm, and then didn't use gloves I absorbed a lot and got pretty stoned from it :) Woke up with a killer stoner hangover that mellowed out to a nice buzz for about 3 hours.:D

I like the idea of leaving the herb in the bottle too. It could get stronger as you take it.

What kind of tolerance does everyone develop to tinctures? By the end of a 2oz bottle are you taking 5 doses and just getting a light buzz? I always seem to build up a tolerance to whatever strain I'm consuming within a weeks time. Doesn't matter whether I'm smoking it or eating it.

I get a very quick tolerance buildup to GD. Went camping last week with a fresh bottle got wasted first night, took 3x next night got very stoned but lacked the spiritual experience outlined by Master Wu, 3rd night inhaled rest of bottle got a strong body stone but was very disappointed.
Moral of story-use sparingly.
While I enjoy the occasional spiritual dose I usually just take about 1/3-1/2 an eyedropper full then supplement it with smoking about 1-1.5hrs later.

Hello!

I am happy to find fans of this wonderful drink. I understand that the process of decarboxylation is important, but I am wondering how will the GD will work without it?
My method is as follows:

- Grind up ¼ oz of high quality bud and pour it into a 1/5 of everclear.
- Store it in a black bag where it is exposed to warm temperature (since its summer and I donâ??t have AC)
- Shake it once or twice a day while removing the cap so it can breathe.
- Use after 1 month.

I am not sure if I am doing this right. I wish I would have done the decarboxylation but it is too late for that now. Did I waste a whole ¼ or will it still work? If it wonâ??t â?? is there any way to salvage what I have? I remember a year or so ago my friends had a bottle where they used this same process without decarboxylation â?? seemed to work for me. I would like to get the most powerful potency possible. Any advice is much appreciated.

J

Making green dragon this way works too... of course, decarboxilating the weed before soaking it in alcohol makes it stronger indeed, but if the weed was already of good quality, the difference isnt so great. Decarboxilating works better with low/mid-quality weed, as most high-quality weed is already properly cured (and thus decarboxilated).

One important thing is the bottle with the weed must be kept in a dark place, as light destroys the THC.

You may have to drink shots to have it work though. There are 25.6 oz in a fifth. When done in smaller amounts an eighth in 2oz will give a little less than 30 doses(one dose being a ml or 1 dropper full). So with a quarter in 25.6 oz you would have to drink a little less than half of a shot to get the same effect. If that is what you are going for then have fun :) Since you said you were going for potency you could put a shot in a drink and be flying. Also many people say you should let it go more than a month, although it will work after this amount of time still.

Please critique what I did. It did not come out very potent.

Used 4 grams of finely chopped chronic
Around 3 grams of stems from assorted strains
2.5 oz 151 Everclear

Placed pot on foil in preheated 325 oven for 5 minutes. came out a light brownish color noticed a small cloud of vapor escape when i opened the oven. I placed that immediately into a jar containing 151. I had previously heated the jar in water a bath with some water in it to 170. When the oven had 2 minutes to go i switched the water for 151. It got up to temp pretty quickly even after adding the pot since it was straight out of the oven. Had that going for 20 minutes. It stayed at a slight bubble. Temp was monitored by a digital meat thermometer, stayed 170-174. It was strained through very fine mesh and pressed well. I placed it in a small plastic bottle that had an dropper top. I figured this plastic should be ok since it had another sort of herbal extract in it previously. I let it cool and placed one full dropper into a half cup of poweraide and drank it. This was at 3:30pm, only thing I had to eat that day was a lunchable (meat, cheese, crackers) at around 11am. I started feeling some effects at 4:20 (haha), and it kept going up till 5pm when it peaked at only a half decent body buzz. It tapered off till 6pm when I decided it was time to go ahead and smoke.

Thing I think I could have done wrong:
Something in the poweraide inhibited it?
Since the 3 inch meat thermometer probe wasn't all the way submerged in something, the reading was off?
Maybe my oven got too hot? I had tested it earlier with the meat thermometer and preheated at 325 it would get upto 345 after the door was open for a several second period.

Let me know what you gurus think. I really need to find a smoking alternative. Now after years of smoking daily my inner ear starts hurting really bad after I smoke, like an ear infection.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by volume

Hello!

I am happy to find fans of this wonderful drink. I understand that the process of decarboxylation is important, but I am wondering how will the GD will work without it?
My method is as follows:

- Grind up ¼ oz of high quality bud and pour it into a 1/5 of everclear.
- Store it in a black bag where it is exposed to warm temperature (since its summer and I donâ??t have AC)
- Shake it once or twice a day while removing the cap so it can breathe.
- Use after 1 month.

I am not sure if I am doing this right. I wish I would have done the decarboxylation but it is too late for that now. Did I waste a whole ¼ or will it still work? If it wonâ??t â?? is there any way to salvage what I have? I remember a year or so ago my friends had a bottle where they used this same process without decarboxylation â?? seemed to work for me. I would like to get the most powerful potency possible. Any advice is much appreciated.

J

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It doesn't sound like the best ratio of pot to alcohol. After a month pour the liquid into a wide mouth jar or jars, straining out the weed in a coffee filter stretched over the top. Let the jars stand in a dark place without lids and let most of the alcohol evaporate. This will concentrate the magic into a smaller volume of liquid.